Potential Side Effects From Cannabis

There is an increase in the demand and use of marijuana after its legalization. A lot of users enjoy the ability of the drug to induce a sense of euphoria but it does come with a number of side effects. There is a reason why many medical practitioners ask users to stay away from regular consumption of marijuana. If taken in excessive quantities, there could be a number of mental and physical effects on the body. Many users have complained about the below-mentioned effects on their body after smoking marijuana.

Common Side Effects of Using Marijuana

Dizziness

A lot of users tend to feel dizzy after they smoke cannabis. This usually happens when they stand up after the smoke. Majority users have felt dizziness ranging from moderate to high after smoking a joint. They have also showed a decrease in the blood pressure which could be a reason for the dizziness. If you use marijuana regularly, you could develop a tolerance to a number of short-term effects including dizziness.

Dry Mouth

Regular users of marijuana have had a side effect known as cotton mouth. It means the users experience an uncomfortable feeling due to lack of saliva in their mouth. It is also known as dry mouth and most users experience the same. It is seen majorly in recreational users as compared to the medical users. You can overcome this effect by using a chewing gum or food in order to stimulate the glands and produce saliva.

Memory Impairment

Studies carried out by researchers have reported having short-term memory problems while studies suggest that consumption of marijuana can impair all the stages of memory. Young users are at a higher risk as compared to older users. Memory impairment is very severe in the case of adolescent users and can also have a lasting impact. Most frequent users have become tolerant to the memory problems caused by cannabis.

An Increase in Appetite

A major side effect of marijuana is an increase in appetite. A lot of users have experienced a sudden increase in appetite that leads them to raid the fridge. Marijuana activates certain pathways in the brain which are related to hunger and it is considered as a negative side effect by many; as the urge to crave food is not real – it’s all in your head and can lead to over-eating. However, it is also used for cancer patients to treat appetite loss in the process of chemotherapy.

No Motivation

Many people have noticed that users of marijuana have become unmotivated at work as well as in school. A lot of users have reported a high loss of motivation and this is because of the impact of cannabis on the brain. Long-term users have low levels of dopamine which is a chemical in the brain which is highly responsible for motivation.

Anxiety

A mental side effect of marijuana is the way users feel after experiencing the high. People often feel anxious after a smoke. An increased paranoia in individuals who are a byproduct of the effect of cannabis like depressionand the feeling of having an unusual experience. Those patients who have panic attacks tend to experience increased anxiety after using marijuana.

Depression

It has been proven that cannabis can act as a medicine for depression but in many cases, it has worked in the opposite way. Marijuana can cause a rush of thoughts in your head. Often times when falling into a deep-thought trance, users begin to think of negative situations in their lives; leading to the beginning stages of depression. This often occurs amongst young people and it is important to note that there are different types of depression and it can impact everyone differently.

Addiction

There is a major risk of addiction associated with the use of cannabis. Once a user stops using cannabis, it can lead to physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Most users who tried to quit cannabis have experienced withdrawal symptoms like sleep difficulty and irritability. While many do not believe cannabis to be addictive, research has shown that it has psychoactive properties (especially when taking THC-high strains for long periods of time) and has the same addictive effects like alcohol – slow and unnoticeable until it’s too late.

Conclusion

These are the major side effects that users of cannabis have experienced. In addition, it can also have an effect on the respiratory system of the user. These are short term as well as long-term effects and might take a while for you to recover. These side effects are the main reason why users are asked to stay away from marijuana and to refrain from long-term use.